


in any version of reality

by WonderTwinC



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 06:43:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4009831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderTwinC/pseuds/WonderTwinC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'd find you and I'd choose you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. unexpectedly

_“That's the ideal meeting...once upon a time, only once, **unexpectedly** , then never again.” _

_\----------------_

Nyssa wasn’t sure why she decided that she needed a pet, but here she was, filling out the paperwork to adopt a skinny, black female cat without a proper name. The girl behind the desk kept putting papers in front of her, shifting around the ones she’d already signed into a folder and what felt like half a tree later and a fifty dollar adoption free, the girl (Thea, if her name tag was correct) offered her a bright smile.

“And she’s all yours.”

“Thank you,” Nyssa replied, glancing over at the carrier that she’d brought for the occasion. Her new pet was hunkered inside, curled up at the very back of the container. She only hoped that the feline was a bit more persuasive to her company once they reached her apartment.

She reached for the handle of the crate just as the door behind her chimed. Behind the desk, Thea sat up straighter with a broad smile plastered across her face. “Hey Sara.”

“Hey Thea,” a soft, raspy voice answered the girl’s greeting and Nyssa turned, catching a glimpse of blonde hair out of the corner of her eye as a woman fairly close to her age walked past her and the front desk, disappearing into the back where all of the animals were kept. Her arrival caused an uproar. A symphony of barking echoed out into the lobby even when the door fell shut behind her.

Nyssa stared for a moment more before she closed her fingers around the handle, picking up her cat with care and trying not to rattle the carrier too much. “Thank you,” she offered, glancing at the girl behind the counter.

Thea raised her head, giving a small wave. “Have fun.”

Nyssa was thinking of names for her new companion as she started to leave. Halfway to the the exit the doors leading to the kennel burst open again and the barking grew in volume once more. The woman from before came out of the back and stopped just behind the front desk, raising her head to catch Nyssa’s eye. She froze.

“Sin said that you’re adopting Rocket,” the blonde stated, glancing down at the carrier.

“Rocket?” Nyssa echoed. She glanced down as well, staring at the top of the carrier as her brow furrowed in confusion.

The other woman laughed, a deep, throaty sound that caught Nyssa’s attention. A tentative smile spread across the blonde’s face. “She doesn’t have an actual name, that’s just what we call her. She answers to it on a half and half basis,” she explained, leaning halfway over the counter to hold out her hand. "I'm Sara, by the way. I entertain the animals."

Nyssa took the proffered hand, her fingers wrapping around Sara's. The other woman had a tight grip. "Nyssa, the brand new owner of one such animal."

Sara grinned. “I come in to play with the animals sometimes. She’s a good cat. A bit skittish at times, but with some love and care she’ll fit right in.”

“I hope so,” Nyssa confessed, looking down at the crate. “I have never had the pleasure of having a pet before,” she added after a moment.

"Never?" Blonde eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Not even as a kid?"

Nyssa shook her head. "We traveled around a lot when I was a child. There was never anytime for pets or the like."

"My Dad got me a bird when I was a kid. A canary. I think it was one of my favorite gifts ever." Sara smiled and Nyssa found that she couldn't help but smile back.

"I should probably go," she offered. "Let Rocket get settled."

"Wait just a sec."

Sara grabbed one of the pounds business cards, laying it on the desk as she borrowed a pen from Thea. She scribbled something on the back of the card, coming around the desk to offer it to Nyssa.

"Here," she said. "If you have any questions or trouble, just call."

Nyssa took the card, staring at Sara in surprise. "Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem," the other woman replied. "I should probably get going myself. The dogs are getting antsy." Sara took a step back, waving goodbye. "See you around."

"See you." Nyssa mumbled softly, the phrase unfamiliar on her tongue. She glanced down at the card in her hand.

_Sara Lance._

  
She tucked the card in the back pocket of her jeans as she left.


	2. only once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet on a train.

Sara leaned against the wall of the train, trying to get herself comfortable for the ride from Central City back home to Starling. Her duffle bag was in the seat beside her and halfway unzipped from where she’d spent ten minutes trying to find her ipod to no avail. With her luck, it was probably sitting back in her dorm room on her desk, forgotten in her haste to pack for the quick trip home for the weekend.

Her family would definitely be surprised.

She stared out the window at the quickly passing scenery for about three minutes before she turned back to her duffle, rummaging around to try and find something. She felt too energized to just sit still and spend the entire trip looking at trees and other things. She pushed aside her make up bag and started uprooting her clothes. Sara was more or less positive that she’d at least packed the book that Laurel had given her the last time she’d been home. Shuffling more clothes and other things around in her search, Sara barely noticed her jacket fall off the top of her bag and into the aisle.

Her fingers brushed against something soft and well worn. “Score!” she exclaimed quietly, shifting back her laptop to find Laurel’s well worn copy of _Silence of the Lambs_. Sara grabbed the book with a triumphant smile.

“Excuse me, I think you dropped this.”

“Huh?” Sara looked up from her duffle bag, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of a woman about Laurel’s age standing in the aisle, holding up her brown jacket that she’d swore had been on top of her bag just a few minutes ago. The woman was, well, a bit breathtaking.

Sara smiled. “Thanks, I didn’t realize I’d dropped it,” she replied, reaching out and taking it. She shoved it down into her bag, pulling the zipper up to close it off.

The woman smiled back and Sara felt her stomach do a stupid, irrational flip.

“Good book, by the way,” she offered, nodding her head in the direction of the book that Sara held in her other hand.

Sara glanced down at it to remind herself what the title was. “My sister loaned it to me. I haven’t had the chance to read it yet.”

“You should,” she smiled. “It’s one of my favorites.”

“I’ll do that,” Sara replied. Her fingers flexed around the spine of the book. There was an odd fluttering in her chest. It was almost distracting.

The other woman dipped her head. She was smiling as well. “It was nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Sara quipped, her voice coming out a bit more eager than she would have liked. The other woman just continued to smile, lingering a moment in the aisle before she headed toward the back of the train.

Sara was more than a little tempted to watch her go, but instead she settled herself comfortably in her seat and turned her cellphone off to avoid interruptions.

She turned to the first page of the book.


End file.
